Telling non-Arm people about Arm (without sounding crazy)?

[solera]

In my peer group, and amongst my English speaking workmates, no one talks of playing computer games , apart from occasional mention of  weekend console gaming. I keep this part of my life locked in the closet. They talk of Facebook and TV and books, hiking and biking,sport and gardening. I just shut up and work.
I talk about my PCs with my family when I see them, but I need to ration my outbursts,and stop when I get the look. They had dabbled but not been hooked.

[Dakota]

"Let me tell you, about the greatest game you've never played or heard of..."

is usually how I start.

Then I follow it up with things like being able to do anything. The fact theirs perma-death and you can't ever play the same character twice. How high the stakes are when a game is designed that way.

Sell them on the excitement such an environment builds.

[MeTekillot]

"Are you talking about that black box game you always play?"

[Sedora]

The majority of people I know are lucky to get a computer turned on and their browser of choice loaded to a search engine. Welcome to the middle of nowhere.

The one friend I have who is a gamer type like me asks about my Arm shenanigans, and is even a fellow RPer type, but is afraid to start playing the game. She doesn't like the concept of permanent death.

To broach the topic, I would suggest making sure that whoever you want to talk to about it has an at least basic acceptance of the concept of roleplaying. There are people I know who if I told them I roleplay in a text game, would try to check me into the nearest institution.

[Tetra]

There are people I know who if I told them I roleplay in a text game, would try to check me into the nearest institution.

This is a social phenomena called listening apprehension, we learned about it in interpersonal communications in college. 

People have a trigger of anxiety or fear for things that they do not understand.  So, be proud of your creativity.

If you ever need to put it into context for people, explain Johnny Depp does the same thing for a living, he only makes millions of dollars doing it.

[Sedora]

If you ever need to put it into context for people, explain Johnny Depp does the same thing for a living, he only makes millions of dollars doing it.

I never thought of it that way! I'll use that next time, thank you

[najdorf]

Once I was so close converting a guy, 3 days I told him stories, then he said it is the shittiest game he has ever heard about.

[Aruven]

Once I was so close converting a guy, 3 days I told him stories, then he said it is the shittiest game he has ever heard about.

Lol dude, this.

I get people stoked by talking about the 'realism', the 'excitement', even 'perma-death'. ( I get : "Yeah Fuck yeah this sounds like an awesome version of oblivion or something!!!")

I say shit like "Think about our desert hikes, ok now add huge predatory shit stalking us, rock weapons, and magic." (Yeah fuck yeah!)

Ok, now just 'see it', because the whole game is words and text on a computer screen...



Guys? Where did you guys all go?

[Fathi]

Everyone I've ever mentioned it to (granted not a lot of people who aren't already gamers) has seemed pretty fascinated by the concept.

But I say it's more like a really violent book you can control a character in. That tends to get the seal of approval from most people.

[Beethoven]

When I describe Armageddon to my friends, I get the impression that people think I'm the nerdiest person they have ever met, and not in an endearing way. They look very uncomfortable and seem like they kind of want me to stop talking. So I tend to never mention it again.

[Revenant]

I either get a thousand interested questions, but a "Dude, wait, sounds way out of my league!" when I try to convince them to play, or I get a confused look and "That sounds WAY too complicated!". This from people who already play text-based games. The latter will quickly change the subject because my detail-filled explanations baffle them. The former will demand a story the next time they see me.

[RogueGunslinger]

Hah. I enjoyed reading that.

[Kismetic]

I have a few friends who know about it, that will even ask about my characters.  "Are you still playing that guy who blah blah blah?"  They know some of the stories, seem interested, just not in actually playing the game itself.  Other friends I wouldn't even broach the subject, because it doesn't contain anecdotes about:  music, drugs, listening to music on drugs, playing music, or anything remotely sports.  That's fine, too, but despite having a broad spectrum of friendships, I have never succeeded in recruiting an Armer.

I was recruited into this MUD, having had experience on other MUDs as a long time player (since Dragonrealms in the late 90s) and administrating (on a MUD called Faerun/Rauvyon), and I swore up and down that I would hate this game, because it was far left field and I'd never played DarkSun.  Turns out, I found it very enjoyable.  So, that's the trick.  Getting people to play that one character where they go really deep.  I think.  Maybe.